


Sense & Sensibility & Star Trek

by ERNest



Category: Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen, Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jane Austen Fusion, Anthropomorphic, Awkward Flirting, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kobayashi Maru, M/M, Minor Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pon Farr, i never explain how the kobayashi maru test is also a person; that's sorta the point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-05 22:59:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 10,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12199113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ERNest/pseuds/ERNest
Summary: The family of Kirke had long been settled on Vulcan...The Star Trek universe and characters, but following the plot of Sense and Sensibility. (Originally posted on LJ in 2009)





	1. Our Story Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Character Match up:  
> Kirk - Marianne Dashwood  
> Spock - Elinor Dashwood  
> McCoy - Colonel Brandon  
> Uhura - Edward Ferrars  
> Amanda Grayson - Mrs. Dashwood  
> Nero - Mrs. Ferrars  
> **Secret Surprise** - Willoughby  
> Scotty - Mrs. Jennings  
> Chekov and Sulu - The Palmers

    The family of Kirke had long been settled on Vulcan. So it was no great surprise when Amanda Grayson's firstborn son had pointed ears and a thoughtful - indeed, almost severe - expression on his face. Not that George Kirke begrudged him for that. He adored the little lad and gave him a name well suited to his appearance. Spock grew up happily - or at least as happily as a young, emotionally repressed, half Vulcan can.

    When George flew to the stars, his wife insisted on coming with him, even though she was fast approaching her time of confinement. All seemed to be going well, but the ship was attacked and the captain killed. Command fell to George Kirke and he performed his role admirably. All eight hundred passengers - including his wife and newborn son, James Tiberius - were saved. But twelve minutes after becoming captain, he was dead.

    Christopher Pike, his son by another marriage, put in a com call as soon as the danger was known. Mr Kirke made him solemnly vow that he would help his mother-in-law and brothers. At the time he certainly had every intention of keeping his promise

    He planned to give each of his brothers ten thousand dollars. Yes, that would do nicely! Twenty thousand dollars was a considerable sum and he would be able to part with it with no regrets.

    But his wife, Ayel, decided that it was too large an amount to give to a nasty half-breed Vulcan and a wild kid.

    "Oh wife," said he, "You are so wise. Perhaps I should give them each only five thousand. That is still a fine amount for a young man."

    "To be sure, it may be too much. After all, neither of them has come of age yet. What would they spend that kind of money on? No, it would be best if you just gave them small gifts at your own discretion."

    "You know, Ayel, I do believe that you are absolutely right. I will give them money when it seems appropriate and when the time is right, I will offer them a position at Starfleet. Indeed, I could not be expected to do anything more."


	2. Characterization of Our Heroes

When Jim was very young he found out, quite by accident, that he had been born on the very same day that his father died to save him. His lower lip began to tremble and he ran to his mother. She had been weeping for her absent husband on and off for years, and she saw in her son a confidant. They encouraged each other in the violence of their affliction.

Spock tried his best to comfort the two of them, but he had become so accustomed to repressing his emotions that he had no idea how to deal with these violent outbursts. No matter what he tried, his brother would not be comforted.

"Oh, Spock," he sobbed through his tears, "Why did no one think to tell me? He saved my life, and our mother's and I never knew a thing about it."

"Well," said Spock, choosing his words carefully, "Perhaps you were simply too young. I imagine it would feel very uncomfortable to have your birth so close to our father's death. Not that I ever experience feelings of discomfort. It would be illogical to let my feelings get the better of me." Then he went back to writing his fifteen page essay.

"Why Spock! You must be completely heartless! How you can hear the stirring story of our own father's sacrifice and feel nothing, I really have no idea!' With that, he flounced away.

The next day, James T Kirke was arrested for stealing his stepfather's car and driving it off a cliff. The day after that, he decided he would not let the story of George Kirke's noble sacrifice rule his life anymore.

***

Christopher and Ayel Pike moved into the Kirke home almost immediately and made poor Amanda's life unbearable. She would have left at once, but for two reasons. Spock had his schooling to complete, and Ayel's sister had come for a visit.

Nyota Uhura was delightful, charming, and didn't take bullshit from anyone. Mrs. Kirke admired that in a young woman. It was exactly that self-confident attitude that had brought her to live on Vulcan with the man she loved. Uhura was also well-complexioned, possessed of a radiant smile, and curvy in all the right places. This earned her good points with the guys.

Spock, who was fourteen at the time, sought out his brother the very night after he met her. "Jim, there is something unusual about that woman. When I saw her, my heart-rate increased far beyond normal for a Vulcan my age. My hands got all sweaty and her scent kept on distracting me. Did you know that Nyota emits twenty-seven layers of pheromones? So I thought you might know. Is something wrong with me?"

Jim tried and failed to hide a smile. "Given the evidence, I would say that you're in love. So you're not completely heartless. I checked her out but she was checking you out. Good job, bro." He raised his hand for a high-five before he remembered that his brother was lame.

Spock blushed a delicate green. "In love? This is quite illogical! What evolutionary benefit can there be to such confusing feelings? The emotional and physical pressures could be enough to kill someone!"

"Who says life is logical? That's the beauty of it! You just – go! No fear, no hesitations! Just go up to her and tell her that you like her. I'll be right beside you."

"I do not believe that would be helpful," Spock replied. "Everyone on Vulcan knows that you are more attractive and your features are more striking."

"I can act slovenly and uncouth if you want," he said immediately. "But whatever it takes, I NEED to be there to see it."


	3. The Bar Scene

    Uhura sat alone at the bar. A stranger would think that she was lonely, but they simply didn't understand the secretive content of her heart. She was solitary by nature, so it did not bother her.

    A loud voice interrupted her reverie. "Hey babe. A nice-looking girl like you shouldn't drink without company. Want me to buy you a Slusho Mix?"

    She looked up, but it was only Jim Kirke. Why everyone thought he was pretty, she really had no idea. She put on an insincere smile and said oh-so-sweetly, "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather do anything than continue this conversation." She accidentally-on-purpose spilled her drink on him, but got a fair amount on her own dress as well. She cursed herself for her stupidity, but it was _so_ worth it.

    "Perhaps I could be of assistance," said a soft voice on the other side of her. Her heart fluttered to see Spock. Now _he_ was a Vulcan worth knowing. It went against all her principles and she knew she shouldn't be attracted to him but she gave him a genuinely warm smile. "Thank you. I'd appreciate it." She looked after him as he went to convince the bartender to give her a free drink. The words 'logical' and 'fail to understand' floated back to her and she smiled.

    "Hey, I thought you took your drinks alone," said Jim, insisting on being the center of attention.

    "Actually, I said that anything would be better than talking to you. And now your brother's here"

    Spock then returned with a pair of drinks. "May I inquire as to the nature of your studies?"

    "Well what I want is very far removed from what my mother wants. If you think my sister Ayel is bad, you should see _her_! She used to be a captain, and the way she acts, you'd think she still was. And she thinks there is no better occupation for me. But my aspirations are far less lofty." She twirled her straw in her Slusho Mix and looked shyly up at Spock. Jim caught the hidden implications of that look and choked into his drink.

    "Oh? And what do you aspire to, Nyota? Tell me your dreams." Jim boggled to hear his brother say something so shamelessly sentimental.

    She chose her words carefully, knowing that Spock would understand, and hoping that his brother wouldn't. "Phonology, morphology, syntax, variability in different mediums of aural conveyance, and other things of that nature."

    No such luck. "Oho, a linguist," said Jim triumphantly. "Which means that you, my dear, have a talented tongue!"

    Oh well, she might as well go along with it. "I have the most talented tongue in the quadrant," she said, grinning wickedly. "But my mother would rather see me wear yellow than red." She turned back to Spock. "What do you say we lose your idiot brother for a while?"

    "That situation would give me a great deal of personal satisfaction," he said, and followed her out of the bar.

   Jim watched them go and congratulated himself for a job well done. He decided he needed another beer for his efforts and began to drink himself into a stupor.  
*    *    *    *  
    Jim was waiting when he got home, several hours later. "So how was your first date?" he asked expectantly. "Is she as good a kisser as she looks?"

    He adjusted his collar uncomfortably. "I object to your assessment of this evening. It was hardly a date."

    "Yeah right." His brother rolled his eyes "What would you call it then?"

    "We were merely discussing the different aspects of the Romulan and Vulcan tongues, a subject on which both of us possess considerable knowledge. When we had exhausted that topic, we talked about anything from physics to statistics. She really is a most extraordinary creature. There is something about the expression of her eyes that makes her handsome; or, at least, almost so." He saw Jim nodding and smiling broadly and was sorry for the warmth he had been betrayed into.

    "I knew it! Indeed, from the moment I saw the two of you together, there could be no doubt of it. Admit, dear Spock, that you love her."

    "I do not attempt to deny that I hold our friendship in very high regard -- that I greatly esteem, that I like her."

    Jim couldn't take this ridiculous understatement for another moment. "Like her! Esteem her! Cold-hearted Spock! Oh! Worse than cold-hearted! Ashamed of being otherwise! Any fool can see that you love her, and it is clear that she loves _you_."

    "Perhaps you are right," he assented, "But then again, you humans have an irrational tendency to feel physically attracted to one another without any thought of love. I believe such a phenomenon is called a 'crush'. It is entirely possible that her regard for me is nothing more than that. It would be unwise to hope for anything beyond what I have perceived to be true."


	4. Another Bar, Another Destiny

    Jim Kirke was many things, but he was _never_ a boy scout. It was for this reason that he was on the losing end of another bar fight. The conversation with the cupcake who was currently punching him out had started civilly enough. But a comment he made on the subject of the other man's intelligence upset him for some reason indiscernible to Jim. As a result his arms were pinioned behind his back and he was bleeding from at least two orifices.

    Christopher Pike was mortified to be in the same room as his half-brother, much less share any DNA with him. Therefore, he offered no assistance. But he remembered the promise he had made to his father and decided the time was right to make good on it. Not to mention that it would get the two troublesome Kirke boys out of his hair. He ordered all of the cadets out of the room and brought some bandages over to Jim's table.

    "Our father --" he began

    "Look, if this is going to be another sermon about how I should be doing something better with my life after everything he did to keep me alive, you can save your breath," he interrupted, "I've heard it all before."

    Pike shook his head. "No, no, you misunderstand me. My point was that he didn't believe in no-win scenarios. And clearly, neither do you."

    "You really don't understand me that well, do you? I just lost, in case you hadn't noticed. I got beat up real bad. Although, I will admit that there is a certain thrill that consumes me whenever I've reached the point of no return. I know I'm going to get hit and I laugh in the face of my enemies. It's absolutely exhilarating."

    "Now _that_ is exactly what I'm talking about, Jim. That instinct to leap without looking -- it's vitally important to Starfleet. Your father had it, and look what _he_ did."

    "Yeah, I know what he did. He _lost_. My father died and left me all alone with nothing but a mother who won't stop crying about him, and a brother who refuses to remember him. That's not exactly a path I'd like to follow."

    "No, you're wrong. I'll tell you what your father did. He was captain for twelve minutes. He saved eight hundred lives. He had two brilliant sons who are both entirely capable of excelling in Starfleet. Your brother has already accepted. I urge you to do the same.”

  
*    *    *    *

    The journey to the Training Academy at San Francisco was performed in too melancholy a mood to be otherwise than tedious and unpleasant. No one felt this more strongly than Leonard McCoy. He had tried to find a seat as far from the windows as possible, but they forced him to come out of the bathroom. "Why don't you idiots understand," he shouted, "Dammit, I'm a doctor, not a colonel! And stop calling me Brandon. My name is Bones!" Finally he took a seat and put his head between his knees.

    He focused on breathing and not simply running off of the shuttle altogether. Eventually he noticed the young man staring at him. He had rather attractive features and a cocky air about him. Well, right now he needed anything to distract him from the view through the window. Now, to think of a good pick up line ... His address was particularly gentlemanlike: "I might throw up on you," he said gallantly.

    The kid shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time," he answered

    McCoy tried some more conventional flirting techniques, but stopped short of asking if it had hurt when he fell from heaven. There was no way that one would help him to calm down. Then he asked the guy's name.

    "Jim Kirke. And sorry, old guy, but you're not really my type. It's not that I don't enjoy the company of men, but I like them to be born within the same _decade_ as me." He then proceeded to ignore Bones for the remainder of the trip.


	5. School Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the original posting of this chapter:
> 
> A/N: Because Scotty is cast as Mrs. Jennings, the Enterprise is a metaphor. Therefore, you should take everything he says with a double meaning.

            The Academy grounds were resplendent with wide sweeping yards and metallic blue buildings, but the dorms were small and cramped. And though Jim admired it with many loud exclamations, it was only to compare its features with those of Norland Park back on Vulcan. These windows were too small, that gate was not grand enough, and seriously, how can it call itself an Academy with no ivy climbing the walls. But he resigned himself to the new living conditions in which he now found himself.

            The most major change was the vast quantity of homework. Jim had never been challenged in school before, for all of his teachers were much stupider than he was. But now he didn’t get into much trouble anymore because he was rarely bored. And despite the strenuous schoolwork, he was contented with his new life.

            And by far, the favorite of his subjects was Engineering. It was introduced to him by one Professor Montgomery Scott. He was a good humored, lithe man, with broad shoulders, who talked a great deal, seemed very happy, and just a bit fond of his scotch. Before the first class was over, he had said many witty things on the subject of gizmos and gadgets. As he insisted, the greatest of his lessons was this: “Take care of your ‘ship,” he said, stroking the dilithium crystal vault, “and your ‘ship will take care of you.”

            All of his students called him Professor Scott, except for James T Kirke, who called him Scotty. He allowed this, but only because Jim showed an extraordinary aptitude for anything he did. Scotty also had the perceptiveness of mind to realize that McCoy had the hots for Jim. He made up his mind to pair the two of them up in as many class assignments as he could. In order to keep Jim from getting suspicious of his plan, he was willing to make a few allowances.

            However, the younger Kirke boy could not perceive anything about McCoy that would make him worth regarding in any way. Spock, on the other hand, saw in him a kind and sensible demeanor, and he had pretty blue eyes. After seeing his brother rebuff his offers of friendship for the fourth time, Spock decided to step in for poor Bonesy’s sake. “I should _think_ that you would consider being courteous to Dr McCoy,” he said, “He is merely attempting to be friendly. And I realize that I am not as exciting a companion as others you could find at this institution. He’s a good man, Jim. And he has a strength of spirit to match your own.”

            “But, Spock, he’s so _old_!” he protested. “And his ideas are so old-fashioned. He said the silliest thing the other day about teleporters taking his soul away from him. I mean, really, it’s too ridiculous! Everyone knows that teleporters are the safest way in the world to travel. How could I ever survive a friend with such outdated philosophies?”

            “He is not _so_ very old. The way you talk, our poor mother must be nearly in her grave by now. And though there have been no major accidents, the teleportation system has not been around for very long yet. He may be right to be cautious.”

            “I suppose so, but there’s a difference between being cautious and being paranoid,” muttered Kirke. And that was the end of the conversation.


	6. Enter Willoughby

            Kirke was finally getting tired of the deluge of assignments he was given every single day. Would it really be too hard to give him a break once in a while? He groaned and put his head in his hands, but picked it back up when he heard two cadets talking.

            The subject of their conversation was an impossible test. No one had been able to save the crew of the Kobayashi Maru since its conception four long years ago. “The Kobayashi Maru!” he breathed, his eyes shining bright, “What a wonderful name for a test! I must make myself more intimately acquainted with it.” For Kirke thought so highly of himself that he was certain he could succeed where so many had failed.

            From that moment on, he could think of nothing but the strategy he would employ to pass the test. Every moment of spare time was used studying the command techniques that had failed before.

            Spock, looking on at Kirke retreating into his own head, felt he had to do something about it – not only as a brother, but as a friend. “Jim, I’m worried about you,” he said “You are taking this fascination with the test to an unhealthy level. Perhaps you should give it a rest.”

            “But Spock,” he protested, “I need to make sure I get it right the first time. It’s important to be prepared for any tricks those bastards decide to throw at me.”

            Spock shook his head bemusedly. “But you have already ascertained the reaction the test will give in almost every matter of importance. You know the dangers of entering the neutral zone, and the equal and opposite dangers of raising shields – or not raising them. And you have perfected the art of spinning away from enemy fire. What else is there to know?”

            Starting to become agitated, he grabbed at Spock’s shoulders. “I can’t mess this up like I’ve messed up everything else!”

            Spock had never seen his brother on the verge of tears like _this_ before. He nodded tersely. “Alright. I can see that this is something you feel you have to do. I won’t try to stop you.” He raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute. “Live long and prosper, my brother.”


	7. A Sweet Scene

Some time later, a situation occurred which gave Jim Kirke greater reason to respect Dr. McCoy. Everyone in Scotty’s seventh period Engineering class was staring at the board in some confusion, trying to solve a difficult problem. Well…everyone except for Kirke, who was immersed in his latest equations of the Kobayashi Maru.

When McCoy casually mentioned that ice rings can only be seen at twenty-two degrees to the moon, Jim’s elbow slipped off the desk. He leaped to his feet, babbling excitedly about internal thermostat regulators. “Scotty,” he exclaimed, “I think I’ve got it!” The other cadets jeered at him, saying that a student who was too scared to take the Kobayashi Maru would never be able to solve a problem as hard as this.

Meanwhile he had run up to the virtual chalkboard and started writing frantically. Only McCoy stayed silent and watched him without a word and saying nothing. And though he smirked a little at the obvious enthusiasm, he gave Jim the best compliment he could, which was his undivided attention and the taking of notes.

Two fevered minutes later, Kirke threw down his stylus. “And there you have it, folks,” he announced, “We have achieved warp speed. I repeat, we have achieved warp speed.” All the other students simply stared at him in shock, but Bones positively _beamed_.

The bell rang and everyone hurried to gather their possessions and dash to their next class. McCoy made a point of going to Jim. “You did good, Jim,” he said, “No one thought you could do it, but you proved us all wrong.”

“Thank you,” he answered, and he meant it, “but really, I could never have done it without your input.” (Of _course_ it was merely thanks from an _academic_ standpoint.)

They went their separate ways and neither of them noticed how Mr. Scott’s smile grew as he programmed the warp factor regulator and considered how he could throw this unlikely pair together more often in the future.


	8. Courtship

          Over the next few weeks, Kirke grew more and more intrigued in the impossible test. Spock had promised not to get in the way of their budding relationship, but he could not resist a little teasing.

          “The Kobayashi Maru cheats itself and everyone else in the simulation room in order to get _me_ a good hand,” he announced one time, “there is no way I can fail now!”

          “I believe that you are mistaken,” countered Spock. “The Kobayashi Maru is nothing but a cheater. Every single condition is specially designed to make whatever obstacles you may face impossible to overcome.”

          “Oh, come on, Spock! Why do you need to burst my happy bubble all the time?”

          “I was merely being logical,” he answered mildly.

          “Oh yeah? Well cut it out! Doesn’t all that rationalization crap just make you want to _scream_ sometimes? I don’t understand how you Vulcans can survive!”

          Spock ignored him, in order to preserve his own sanity.

          “The Kobayashi Maru has gotten me a commander chair,” he said another day, “and it is perfectly designed to suit my comfort level. Isn’t that wonderful?” To which Spock replied that it would never be able to fit in their crowded dorm room and he must return it right away.

          “It is most improper. What will the other cadets think at your accepting so extravagant a gift from someone so little known to yourself?”

          “You do me a great wrong in implying that we are not well known to each other. I have seen the wonderful things he can do to stroke a young man’s ego. And yes, I know that he can drive a man to tears. But consider this, Spock, that what can make a man weep is at least as important as what can make him smile.”


	9. Bye-Bye Bones

          In the middle of Engineering, the warp factor regulator started making strange noises. Kirke whipped out his tricorder and realized that it was at an extremely unstable level of power. He reacted instantly. “Everyone get away from that wall! She’s gonna blow!” And blow she did.

          Scotty wasted no time in assigning tasks. Skoog and Spinelli cleared the area and made certain there was no more toxic waste in the work area. Watson and Crick assessed and repaired the damage that had been done to the other units. And Kirke and McCoy were set to adjust the filtration system.

          Every once in a while, they would reach for the same tool and their hands would touch for an instant. The first time this happened, Kirke jolted as if a shock had run through him, and Bones had the decency to look embarrassed. He stared up into the older man’s eyes for a moment, and McCoy stared back. Suddenly he grabbed his hand back and steadied himself. That small bit of contact meant nothing, he reminded himself. It was completely natural in this setting, and besides McCoy was _much_ too old for him. “Pass me the socket wrench,” he mumbled and work went on as before.

          Everyone’s respective jobs were almost complete when McCoy’s personal pager went off. He took one look at it, scowled, swore, and immediately asked to leave the room so he might check on the message.

          Five minutes later he returned and addressed Mr. Scott. Jim listened in. He insisted to himself that it was just because he was an eavesdropper by nature, and that he would have spied on anyone.

          “I must leave on a matter of some importance and I do not know when I will return.” McCoy said in an undertone. “Perhaps it will not be for the entire semester. I wonder if I might get the assignment downloads early so as to not fall so far behind?”

          “Aye, that ye may,” Scotty answered as he went to rummage through his desk. When he returned he gave McCoy a micro-disc and a knowing wink. “I think I ken who this is about,” he said shrewdly. “And I hope she is well.”

          McCoy balled his hand into a fist, but kept it in his pocket. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. I must go this very minute!” and he dashed away.

          He was halfway through the door when Scotty raised his voice. “Oh, and laddie,” he called, “I hope you realize that you can always talk to the teachers if there’s a problem.” But he was already gone.

          Jim shrugged; it was really none of his business.

          Once he was in the hallway, Dr. McCoy braced himself against the nearest wall. Oh thank God, Gaila was safe. Or at least she was alive, which wasn’t nearly the same thing. And Lenny McCoy knew better than anyone that dead and gone is dead and gone. He still missed his father, even though he had died almost four years ago. And his wife had taken everything away from him, even the planet. But goddamit, it was time to face the facts and look this thing in the eye. He had a med kit with bandages, pain-killers, and enough hyposprays to power a small nation. Whatever had happened to his ward, he was going to make sure everything turned out alright. He owed that much to her – and to her mother.


	10. A Test of Faith

          “Come to the simulation room,” Jim’s lover whispered, “There is to be an announcement on a matter of some importance to you.” He agreed to this and the next day made a silly excuse to bow out of an all-night bar-hopping session which he had been looking forward to all week. Spock, who concluded that his real purpose had something to do with Kobayashi Maru, did not press him and proceeded to enjoy a delightfully drunken evening.

          Kirke arrived ten minutes early and waited outside with the other members of his simulation crew. From inside the test room arose the sounds of an argument. “This is most illogical. You’re nothing but a machine. How should it even by physically possible?” A muffled thud and a grumble let them know that someone had just kicked something and gotten a stubbed toe for his efforts. By and by, the door opened and a really old Vulcan wearing a really pissed off expression emerged.

          “I regret to inform you that the Kobayashi Maru test has been cancelled. It will not be reintroduced into the curriculum any time in the foreseeable future.”

          “Oh, but sir,” protested Jim, “You can’t do this to me. I’ve been waiting for _weeks_ to take this test! I know I’m ready!”

          The old Vulcan considered his request not unsympathetically. “Very well, Jim. You and your team will be the very last people to take the test. Good luck.”

          As they entered the simulation room, Kirk turned to the nearest person to him – who just happened to be Bones – and asked, “Who _was_ that pointy-eared bastard?”

          “I don’t know,” was the response, “But I like him.”

          It started out well, but the news of the cancellation so unsettled Jim that he was unable to concentrate on the task at hand. He missed two Klingon warbirds that he should have _known_ would be there. They had uncloaked in that exact position for more than half the simulations and he should have expected them. But he hadn’t been paying attention and they’d caught him by surprise. Of course, things went downhill from there and it was only a matter of minutes before Kirke’s rescue ship was shot out of the metaphorical sky.

          Jim would have thought himself inexcusable if he had been able to sleep at all that first night after failing the test he had been so confident he would pass. The Kobayashi Maru was intended to be a test of character as a leader, but – for Jim at least – a far better indicator of his personality was how he acted afterwards.

          He began his period of mourning by putting his fist through a window. The next hour and a half were spent picking bits of transparent aluminum out of his hand. After that, he dragged himself dejectedly through the streets of San Francisco. The mist and fog did not bother him because they mirrored his mood perfectly.

          He’d done everything right, and yet he still had to deal with defeat now. But no matter what everyone else said, he simply could not believe that the programmers would be so unjust as to make the test unbeatable. There had to be a way to make it work, there just _had_ to! But now it was cancelled and he would never be able to prove to himself that he had what it took. Ooh, it made him so mad he could just punch something. He looked again at his bandaged hand. Hmm … best not.

          Turning an unfamiliar corner, he saw a familiar female figure wearing a familiar slinky red dress. “Uhura!” he called with delight. “I completely forgot that _you_ would be here! But this is wonderful. You must come over to our dorm straight away. Spock will be gleeful to see you.” He stopped as he remembered who he was talking about and began again, “Well, he’ll be relieved to see that you haven’t disappeared off the face of the planet.”

          “Oh yes,” she said rather distantly, “I’ll be happy to see him too. But tell me about yourself. How are you liking life at the Academy?”

          “It’s great,” he enthused, trying to keep up a show of bravado, “Never have I been so intellectually challenged. And the teachers are fantastic too! Have you met Mr. Scott? I think he’s one of the best teachers…” And so on. Throughout their entire conversation he gave no indication that he had boldly gone and done what _every_ man, woman, and non-humanoid at Starfleet Academy had done – which was to fail the Kobayashi Maru.


	11. An Uneasy Visit

          Uhura and Kirke were greeted by Spock and – as expected – they neither embraced nor professed their undying love for one another. But even Jim was amazed at how detached Uhura had grown in the few months they had been apart. He wondered aloud at the change of spirits in his friend, but she had a retort ready for him.

          “You also seem graver, and a bit less rebellious than you were in the past,” she said. “But tell me, Kirke, do you still believe that learning a subject straight from the original texts is the only way to gain knowledge? You see, I remember all the little arguments we have had when we were younger.”

          “Oh, most assuredly!” he exclaimed, “Who knows how the other writer could have garbled all of that techno-babble? Or – and this is worse – shortened the explanations? It would prove disastrous if someone’s life depended on shoddy information! You need to know the material intimately.”

          Uhura smiled indulgently. “I see you’ve gotten more eloquent than ever, Mister Kirke. Well, don’t worry. I promise you that if we are ever in a life-or-death situation, I’ll trust you to quote all the guidebooks in the world at me. It’ll either save my life or bore me to death, so it’s a fair trade.”

          Jim was so relieved that he laughed out loud. “Now _that’s_ the Nyota Uhura I know and love! The snark, the attitude, the kick-ass! It’s nice to have you back to normal, my dear.”

          Uhura continued to stay with the Kirke boys for at least a week, but decided that she must return to her dorm-mates. “They can’t cook,” she said by way of explanation. “If it weren’t for me they’d starve. Besides, who else could watch out for them and protect them from the wandering eyes of James Tiberius Kirke?”

          Jim let out a breath of mock indignation. “Well I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”

          She gave him the kind of stare that had been known to turn lesser men to stone. “I have heard so many rumors about you, young man,” she said darkly, “so don’t even _think_ of acting all innocent with me.” And then she was gone.

          When Uhura had left, Spock seemed dejected and more serious than usual. It was the sort of thing no one who had not been living with Vulcans would notice. So of course Jim noticed the change in his brother and went to talk to him.

          “Don’t worry. I’m certain she loves you. One look at those fiery eyes and it’s obvious. There’s got to be a logical explanation for all this. She _wants_ you, and only you will satisfy her.”

          Unlike his brother, Spock chose not to encourage the pain and sorrow in his heart. He answered, “You are laboring under false assumptions. I am a Vulcan. I have no ego to bruise. I am satisfied with the explanation she has given us. As I have told you so often, the needs of the many – in this case, her dorm-mates – outweigh the needs of the few – she and I.”

          Jim looked at his brother with eyes full of regret and sympathy. Both of them had lost someone they cared for deeply, and he couldn’t stand it if Spock ended up as despondent as himself. “That may be true most of the time, but not when the one is my brother! Your needs are very important to me, Spock. You know that. And you also know that I will do everything in my power to make sure they are met.”

          Spock sighed at the overly dramatic show of emotion his brother was putting on, but he realized that it was also Jim’s way of coping with his own loss.


	12. Pavel and Hikaru (The Palmers)

         Not long after Uhura’s visit, Spock and Kirke made the acquaintance of a young couple. Pavel Andreievich Chekov was about the same age as Jim and shared much of his enthusiasm for getting it right the first time. But even though he was a genius, he was still very much a child and often reverted to his ancestral tongue when under intense pressure.

         His husband was a stern, unsmiling, helmsman with advanced training in fencing. He entered the class as a last-minute replacement for Helmsman McKenna, but he held his own. After surveying the instruments briefly, he was entirely capable of piloting any vessel in the fleet, including an antique helicopter that he stole one day for a joyride.

         Chekov looked up from the maps he had been studying. “Oh, Hikaru, this entire quadrant of space is so charming. It seems that Risa is vonderful this time of year. I should quite like to set course there, shouldn’t you?”

         Mr. Sulu made no answer and focused on keeping the ship flying straight.

         Chekov laughed again. “Hikaru pretends he does not hear me, but ve both know that ve could not nawigate the ship if ve did not work together.”

         Jim and Sulu exchanged a meaningful look. Neither of them could bear the ridiculous antics of the rest of the group.

         The two brothers agreed to meet with Chekov, Sulu, and Scotty for luncheon. Jim did not look forward to sitting at the same table as them for an entire meal, but it could not be helped. Luckily, it turned out that they were unable to come. “You see, it was all so sudden, us coming here at all,” Chekov explained, “Hikaru vouldn’t tell me vhere ve vere headed. He just took manual control, and next thing I knew, he was asking if I vanted to visit the old Academy. Of course I said yes, and it’s been vonderful, but now we’ve been assigned to the Reliant.”

         Before he left, however, Ensign Chekov took Spock aside and asked if it was true that James Tiberius was engaged to the Kobayashi Maru. Spock looked very surprised at this and asked how he had found out this astonishing piece of news.

         “Vell, I’m pretty sure it’s true, Commander. I have the information from Doctor McCoy himself.”

         “From Doctor McCoy! I do not understand why he would give such intelligence to someone who could have no interest in it, even if it were true. Humans are very unpredictable.”

         Chekov laughed again at this comment and declared that he must be off at once.


	13. T'Pring It On

No sooner had Spock gotten over wondering how Chekov and Sulu made a good pair, when the former could laugh at anything and the latter could laugh at nothing, than Scotty found a new acquaintance to capture their attention.

“And here we have a monstrous pretty girl,” he said proudly, “With much in common with yourselves.” And Jim had to admit that T’Pring was very lovely, as Vulcans go. Of course, she had none of the radiance that human girls develop, because her emotions would never be elevated enough to make her blush.

Her manners were civil and Spock was relieved to see that _someone_ was logical on this overly emotional planet. He granted her a fair amount of sense, especially when he observed how judiciously she made herself agreeable to Scotty. She was constantly in raptures about the pipes, ventilation and ample nacelles, unless she was praising the work Mr. Scott himself was doing. After that first meeting, neither Spock nor Kirke felt any inclination to get to know her better, but she insisted on visiting them, and seemed particularly interested in the older boy.

“You don’t know what a comfort it is to have another Vulcan in the neighborhood,” she said as they were walking together one day. “No one understands the hidden store of emotions we both have.”

“You are quite right,” he agreed, “I dare say they believe we are nothing but computers; indeed I have been called so, many times. But have any of them undergone _kahs-wan_ to survive in the wilderness? Or studied _Suus Mahna_ for defense against multiple opponents?”

“And of course,” T’Pring added, “There is the _Pon Farr_.” She noted, with satisfaction, that Spock stiffened at the mention of the blood fever.

“Perhaps it would be unwise to speak of such a private ceremony in public,” he warned.

“But I must tell someone,” she protested, “It is so hard to have no one who understands. You see, six years ago I bonded with someone I care for very much. But my _thy’la_ is not Vulcan and I cannot help thinking that I am more committed than she is.”

“You said ‘six years ago’. So it will not be long until the second part of the ceremony must be completed.”

“That is correct. And I am hesitant to tell her mother Neronika about the connection. I fear that she does not approve of Vulcans.”

Spock suddenly stopped dead, but began walking again almost immediately. “Neronika? Then you are engaged to Nyota?” he asked, hopping fervently that she meant that the other daughter, Ayel, was cheating on Captain Pike. That would serve them right.

“Indeed I am. Do you know her?”

Who can tell what Spock felt at that moment? Astonishment, certainly, but also the very human emotions of jealousy and rage. But for the time being he was able to keep his instincts in check.

“I dare say you are surprised,” she continued, “for I have never let a soul know of it, and I would not have told you either, if I were not completely certain of your secrecy.”

Spock chose his words carefully, struggling for control of the situation. “I never asked you to confide in me,” he started, “However, now that I am burdened with this knowledge, I can do nothing less than keep from communicating it to anyone else.”

“Oh, I was right in trusting you. I am so glad. As I am certain you know, her mother controls every aspect of her bank account, so I fear we will not be able to fulfill it without her consent. Indeed, it made Nyota quite miserable. Did you not think her in poor spirits when she last visited you?”

“I did,” he answered, with composure of voice that did not quite conceal his emotions and distress just below the surface, “and I was quite baffled by it, for she is usually in such a good mood.

T’Pring continued to talk about their relationship, and the difficulty they had in sending messages that Neronika would not intercept. Spock focused on his meditation, so he would not do anything rash, but he could not help hearing her prattle on about the depth of her love. He found that he was tired of listening to her, and the more he thought, the more things there were that he was tired of. He was tired of the snide comments about his mother and the questions about his paternity. He was tired of being a child of both worlds, and he was tired of always being asked to choose between them.

Suddenly he snapped. It was not exactly clear to either of them what had pushed him over the edge, but at the moment neither of them cared. Spock hardly knew whether to yell T’Pring’s name or Nyota’s. Disjointed words escaped his lips as he punched her repeatedly. “I – love – human – deeper – damn you – bitch – mine – true love!”

All the years of being picked on as a child culminated in this. He was really attacking every jeer, every taunt, and every attempt to get him to show his emotion, every sneer about his human eyes.

By the time he had locked his fingers around her throat in a death grip, T’Pring had triggered an alarm that would send a police unit zooming towards them. The slight smile on her face was almost triumphant, not that the Vulcan had any concept of such a petty human emotion.

****

Perhaps the robocops expected a struggle, given the strength and endurance that Vulcans were capable of the rare times when provoked. But the struggle never came; Spock had already accepted defeat and did not resist the two burly androids that came to drag him away. He spent the night in the slammer and the next morning Jim came to pay bail.

“Usually this situation is reversed,” he mentioned. When Spock made no reply, he grabbed him by the shoulders. “Spock, look at me,” he pleaded, “You’ve never done anything like this before. What’s wrong?”

The young Vulcan was conflicted. He had to make a choice between his brother, who had supported him always, and a Vulcan to whom he had made a solemn vow. So he hesitated. “It is … difficult to explain,” he started, to buy himself some time.

“Try me. Now Spock, I want to help you, but I can’t do that if you won’t even tell me what’s going on here.”

“It concerns…” he cast around for an appropriate term, “…biology.”

Kirke’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” he snapped.

“Alright.” There was an awkward pause “Biology, eh?” He rubbed his chin, where he imagined there would someday be a beard. “What kind of biology?” he asked in an undertone.

“Vulcan – biology.”

“Ohh, you mean…like reproduction?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“So what you’re telling me is that I got called up to the station house just because you were experiencing some kind of alien PMS?” Spock nodded sharply. “Well that’s nothing to worry about. We’ll just tell everyone to steer clear of you for a week or two, and then you’ll be okay. You’re one of the top students in Starfleet; no one will mind if you take sick leave. Come to think of it, I could do with a break too.”


	14. Another Test of Faith

Jim was enjoying himself immensely, which surprised him because he had sworn never to be happy again. No doubt his good cheer had something to do with the large number of beautiful women at the party. His smile grew as he saw that one of them was coming towards him. Then he recognized her as Carol Marcus, one of his grade-school sweethearts. Those had been magical times, he remembered fondly. But now Carol was head of a science research department, and all business.

“Why are you taking Genesis away from us?” were the first words she said.

“Genesis? What do you mean? Who’s taking Genesis?”

“Jim, did _you_ give the order to marry the Genesis Project with the Kobayashi Maru? You know Genesis is top secret. And it’s never been tested before. It would be impossible to predict what would happen if it were launched in a fighting scenario.”

Jim stared intently at her. “The Kobayashi?” he gasped, “But – it was discontinued months ago! Don’t tell me they’ve brought it back? Why did he not contact me? I would have been overjoyed to see him again.”

She nodded “I just got the memo a couple days ago. They said it was impossible for the test to function without the added challenge. But why does it matter?”

“Because if it’s back, I need to go take that test. I’m going to pass it this time, I can feel it in my bones!” he yelled as he ran out of the crowded dance hall.

“Jim! No, wait! You don’t understand what it does!” Carol called. “Oh now I suppose I’ve got to go save his life,” she muttered. And she ran after him.

The young technician could not believe his eyes, but he alerted his superiors anyway. “Sir, someone has broken into and initiated the Kobayashi Maru. But this is rather odd – he hasn’t got anyone with him. No crew, no friends, nothing. I think he’s trying to fly the simulation all by himself.”

Carol ran into the programming station. “Where’s Jim? Have you seen him?” They pointed to the screen and she clapped a hand to her cheek in horror. “Look, I don’t know how realistic this simulation of yours is, but if he launches the Genesis Device, there’s a good chance it’ll try to kill him. So please do whatever you need to do to make sure that’s not the only option he has.”

The two technicians looked at one another uncertainly. “We’ll certainly do our best. But of course, it also depends on the choices he makes in the simulation.”

And the delicate dance of strategy began. The ships – Kirke’s, the Kobayashi Maru, and the dozens of Klingon warbirds – swooped around each other as they all performed their respective tasks. But Kirke was also dancing inside the simulation room as he performed all of the tasks necessary to keep the ship running. Luckily the Engineering and Medical sections were always simulated and he didn’t need to run down there half the time.

Communications was the first to fail. He was receiving a signal from the other ship and suddenly it cut out. He tried to restart it, but his best efforts accomplished nothing. “Oh, solitude, how I have missed you!” he proclaimed to the empty simulation room. He continued on to the science station and ran a probability test of how long he had before he lost.

Kirke was a genius, but he finally had to admit that he wasn’t quite good enough to control a ship by himself. He’d been over-extending himself and decided that he might as well go out with a bang. So he followed the protocol to set off the Genesis Device inside the ship.

“No!” yelled the programmer. “He’s done it! The count down’s on!”

“We’ve got to get him out of there! He has so much potential. I won’t lose one of my best officers to a stupid simulation.”

“But the machine’s malfunctioning – it won’t open the doors to let him out. There’s got to be another way to stop the simulation.”

Chekov, who just happened to be there, spoke up “Vell, ve could teleport him out.” Everyone looked at him. “It vas just an idea,” he mumbled, embarrassed.

“No, it’s a great idea. Only problem is, who here knows how to work a teleport?”

“I could try.” Chekov answered, already doing calculations in his head. “Yes! That vould vork,” he said “I can do zat! I can do zat!” He ran down the hallway to the teleportation room and entered the coordinates.

Meanwhile Kirke looked grimly at the Genesis Device. It was only at the laboratory stage so far, and not the planet stage, but it should still be enough to rescue the Kobayashi Maru. Then it went off. It tore apart the structural matrix of the control room and replaced it with its own. “Wow. There’s water and birds in the simulation room.” Then he realized that the device would also rewrite his own structural matrix and he began backing away slowly from the miracle of new life. “This is bad. This is really, really bad. How did things get this bad, anyway?” He tried to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. “Well,” he thought, “At least I’ll die in the arms of my first and only love.” He lost consciousness just as the teleporter beam scattered his atoms.

“Quickly! Get him to sick bay! There’s only one man who can save him now!”

“Oh? And who’s that?”

“Doctor Leonard McCoy.”


	15. Why Bones Left

Spock stayed at his brother’s bedside. Logic told him that Jim would not survive the close encounter with the Genesis Project, but if there was one lesson he had kept from living with Jim, it was that nothing was impossible. He was startled by a knock on the infirmary. “It is fortunate that you have come, Doctor McCoy.”

“I only hope that I’m not too late,” was all he answered as he passed his medical tricorder over Jim’s body. “Fractured rib, sprained ankle, high fever, slight trauma to the head,” he concluded. “He’ll live, but it’ll be a while before he wakes up. But that is fortunate, because I have a delicate matter to discuss with you. As you know, I was divorced not too long ago.”

“Yes, I was aware of this circumstance. However, I do not understand what this has to do with Jim or myself.”

“Well my wife took everything, so I had no way to go but up. She was gracious enough to give me joint custody of our ward. Gaila’s a lot like Jim – headstrong, impatient, bossy – you know the type. And she’s incredible and beautiful, and I was so glad that I was allowed to spend time with her. But about a year ago she just disappeared. She left no trace, hadn’t said anything to her roommates, just stopped coming to any of her classes one day. Well, a few months ago, I finally got a message from her. You remember, of course, that day I left so suddenly?”

“Jim mentioned something about it,” said Spock.

“That was to go to her. And as soon as I saw her, I could tell she was with child. It seems she had become … romantically attached, and she still felt she owed something to that low-down scoundrel so she wouldn’t tell me the name of the father. I said that there was no point in keeping it from me, since I’d be able to do a paternity test as soon as the child was born. You can guess who it was, I imagine.”

“Not the Kobayashi Maru!” exclaimed Spock, in tones of great surprise. “A machine cannot impregnate a human female. They’d be too sexually incompatible.”

“Now listen here, Spock,” the doctor interrupted, “you may think you’re cleverer, what with your Vulcan training. But I’ve seen more of the world than you, and believe me when I say you have no idea what it’s like. Space is Disease and Danger. A crack in the hull is enough to boil your blood in thirteen seconds flat, and that’s not the worst you can face,” he continued bitterly. “Life is also Dark. And Silence. You can only end up lonely because of wives who take the whole damn planet out from under your feet, and men who leave little girls with nothing but their bones, and—and—” he broke off suddenly, breathing quickly. “Forgive me,” he said in a more subdued voice, “I should not have told you all that. I hope I have not upset you too much.”

Spock was actually quite distressed by McCoy’s revelation, and he showed his sympathy in the only way he knew how, “You must learn to govern your passions,” he rebuked gently, “They will be your undoing.” Bones nodded, accepting the comment in the spirit it had been intended. “I will leave you now. And take good care of my brother. He deserves someone like you.”


	16. Bedside Manner

McCoy set to work immediately, gathering together nutrient drips and dermal regenerators. Once he’d hooked him up to basic life support, there was nothing to do but wait. And talk. He prided himself on the bedside manner he had inherited from his father, growing up in Georgia.

“It’s always been easier to destroy than to create,” he said “Until Genesis came along. Now you can do both at once. In the Bible, the miracle of creation took six days – now watch out – here comes Genesis! It’ll get the job done in six _minutes_. But no matter how hard they try, it’ll never be able to make someone with a mind as twisted as yours. So that’s why you need to survive. The world needs people like you.”

****

"In this galaxy there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth type planets, and in all the universe three million million galaxies like this,” He paused to let this sink in. "And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us.” He held Jim’s hand, and hoped that somewhere in his subconscious he would hear this next part. “Don’t destroy the one named Kirke.”

****

“Jim, you’ve got to wake up!” he cried in desperation. “A lot of people are counting on you. _I’m_ counting on you. You’re the best commander we’ve ever had.”

“Am I really? Why, Bones, I’m flattered.”

Annoyed at being caught at this profession of tenderness, he blustered, “So you’re awake. Took you long enough. Hell, people were worried about you. And I’m your doctor. Think of how it would have reflected on me if you’d gone and died on me. I’ve got a reputation to uphold. But you never think of anyone but yourself do you?”

“I’m glad to be back, too.”

****

“I wasn’t  always this scared of flying,” he mused, “It was only after I had to help patch up survivors of a crash that I started worrying about what it would be like if that happened to me. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop imagining terrible things happening to me and people I --” He lost control of his countenance and busied himself with his tricorder. “People I love,” he said finally, and was surprised to find that his hand was not empty.

Jim smiled weakly up at him. “Oh _Bones_! I never knew! I just saw you freaking out on the shuttle and assumed you were a person of no consequence. Guess I was wrong.”

****

It was a long night for Spock. He stayed out of the sick bay in the hopes that McCoy would be able to forge some kind of friendship with his brother. But there was still a sneaking suspicion that Jim was injured beyond recovery and all of McCoy’s encouraging assurances reached the ear, but could not enter the heart of the Vulcan.

Much to his embarrassment, he fell asleep sometime during the night, and woke with the sun streaming through the windows. He leapt to his feet and was standing at parade rest when McCoy entered the waiting room. “Well,” he demanded immediately, “Is he going to be alright?”

The good doctor bit his lip. “Well, I’m not too sure about that.”

“So he _didn’t_ make it?” he asked, preparing himself for the worst.

“You might want to check with me before you make an assumption like that,” a voice came from behind him.

“Captain?” He turned and saw that Jim was indeed alive and well. “Jim!” he exclaimed, and grabbed his brother to hug him with a gigantic smile on his face. Under slightly different circumstances, he might have been embarrassed to have caught in such a strong display of emotion. But he decided that Bones would understand and opened up the hug so he could join in. After all, they were practically family now.


	17. FIRE EVERYTHING!!!

Every day T’Pring was getting closer to her time of _Pon Farr_ , and still had not told Neronika. With no other choice before her, she could delay no longer and scheduled an appointment with her prospective mother-in-law.

The next day at three o’clock sharp, T’Pring arrived at entrance door A-14 of the _Narada_. As Ayel led her to Neronika’s private quarters, she explained, “My mother doesn’t take kindly to Vulcans, so keep a civil tongue about you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she answered demurely, all the while calculating the most logical way to state her appeal. By that time they had arrived.

“Enter,” Neronika called imperially, and the door opened automatically at the sound of her voice. “What have you come to discuss with me? I have a busy schedule, so make it snappy.”

“I have been engaged these six years,” she began respectfully. As she spoke, an artery throbbed menacingly in the Romulan’s neck, but she plunged on, unperturbed, “To your daughter, Nyota. And I ask for your blessing in our marriage ceremony.”

There was a terrible, ghastly silence. Neronika glared at the woman who wished to become her daughter-in-law. It was lucky for the other inhabitants of the ship that the room was soundproofed. “You will get nothing from me,” she thundered, “Much less the hand of my daughter! FIRE EVERYTHING!!!”

Just then, Uhura herself had the great misfortune to walk in on them. Realizing her mistake, she exited the room, but was summoned back. “Is it true that you have been engaged to this young woman of inferior birth?”

“Mother, T’Pring is a Vulcan. This does not make her inferior in any way, especially if you consider that we are distant cousins. And I object strongly to your classification of her as such.”

“Nyota,” she said, in a stage whisper intended to carry across the room, “They’re not like us. This abandonment of emotional background is simply not natural.”

“I cannot do that. She is my _thy’la_ and I am hers. If we do not consummate our marriage at the appointed time, both of us will die.”

“Then die,” her mother said coldly. “It would be a just punishment for seeking a connection with one of our hated cousins. Or, if you refuse, you can die by starving in the streets for all I care.”

Uhura drew herself up to her full height and dared to look her mother in the eye. “There is only one answer I can honorably give you,” she answered. “I _will_ marry T’Pring. In fact, I accept your disownment of me with open arms. It is the greatest gift you can give me, because I have long been embarrassed of you and your mean, old fashioned ways.”

“So be it. You are no daughter of mine.”

****

“Spock, forgive me. I’ve been a fool”

“No, you haven’t. Everything you have done was for a noble reason. There is no reason to apologize for something so true to yourself.”

Jim looked up, found he could not handle the force of that intense stare, and looked away. “I’m your brother; you need to say stuff like that.”

“It is true that you are my brother. But more than that, you are my friend. I have been, and always shall be, yours,” he answered. “And as your friend, I tell you that you have done nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Yeah, if you say so.” Jim lapsed into silence. “I was never engaged to the Kobayashi Maru,” he said suddenly. “So no matter how dishonorable you may think the test, it has broken no promise to me.”

“Jim, you cannot compare your conduct to _his_!”

“No, but I compare it to what it should have been,” he answered, “I compare it to _yours_.” And he enveloped his brother in a manly hug.


	18. Finally, the Happy Ending

After T’Pring chose to marry Stonn, Uhura ran to Spock’s quarters. “Interference has vanished,” she told him. “Full communications capability reestablished.” He looked back at her, not quite understanding her meaning. Still bursting with joy, she reiterated, “I’m free! Free as the summer breezes that flow over the Vulcan plains! Come to the Enterprise with me. Jim and Bones are already there – Chekov and Sulu, too. If we hurry, the whole gang will be together again.”

He was happy to hear the news, but as a Vulcan was unsure of how to react. “Others would accuse me of favoritism if we went there together …” he started

“Oh Spock!” she said in exasperation “Can’t you see we’ve gone way past that? It’s a simple entry mistake by Personnel. Anyone would understand. I’m _on_ the _Enterprise_.”

At that fiery look in her eyes, he fell in love all over again. “Yes, I believe you are.” And then – wonder of wonders – the half-Vulcan almost smiled.


End file.
